Manufacturing processes include various processes in the broad categories of casting, molding, forming, machining, joining and rapid manufacturing. Casting and molding techniques generally relate to the initial shaping of a part from raw materials. Subsequently, the part may be used as is (e.g. as cast or molded) or it may be further processed by forming or machining components to their final shape and then assembling the components via any number of joining techniques.
In general, various forming techniques are known in the art. For example, in the context of metal working, a blank of raw material may be shaped using plastic deformation of the metal, for example by drawing, extrusion, and forging processes, to name a few. A blank of material may also be shaped to a desired shape using material removing processes (e.g. reducing operations). Reducing operations may include various cutting and machining operations. For example, in a typical machining operation, a cutting tool is used to remove an amount of material from the work piece to achieve a desired final shape of the part. Fixtures or work holding tools are devices used for providing a work piece in a desired location and/or orientation on the table of the mill (e.g. machine tool). Assembly technique can include various jointing operations, such as fastening, welding, bonding, curing and the like. Assembly operations may also require intricate and customized tools, including work holding tools, clamps, and other fixtures.
Generally, for any type of manufacturing process, tool design may be an important aspect of the manufacturing process, not only for ensuring the quality of the manufactured part but also with regards to increasing the manufacturing productivity (e.g. time/cost of production). Tools may be divided into several categories, including cutting tools, dies, and work holding tools, to name a few. A work holding tool is generally any fixture or jig which is used to restrain the raw material in all degrees of freedom during manufacture. As will be appreciated, improved methods and devices for restraining the work-piece may be needed in the art for achieving precise placement of the part relative to the cutting tools to achieve a desired quality of the final product. Furthermore, improved techniques for achieving desired tolerances and dimensions of features of computing device components may be needed in the art.